Senior Adults for a Greater Education

(S.A.G.E.)™ matches community members, aged 55 and better, with exciting volunteer opportunities within their local school districts – weekly positions, one-time events and specialized extracurricular activities. Through these educational collaborations, S.A.G.E helps to bridge the generation gap and which provides both seniors and students new perspectives, building cohesive and stronger communities. Today, S.A.G.E. has a dynamic volunteer corps that reaches over 5,000 students annually in our member districts which include Council Rock, Bensalem, Hatboro-Horsham, New Hope Solebury and Saint Andrew.

S.A.G.E. is devoted to uniting youth and seniors in an effort to enrich education and leave a legacy for future generations.

A NOTE FROM A VOLUNTEER: Good Morning.I wanted to tell you what a great experience I had working at Hallowell this year. I really "bonded" with both the teacher and the class. I felt needed and appreciated by both, and also felt what I did was meaningful. I look forward to continuing this association next year.

Volunteers

Senior residents are an often untapped resource in a community. Offering the benefit of lifetimes of experience – and the time to share it – the contributions that the senior community can make are enormous. By involving seniors in the educational community, districts that have participated in the S.A.G.E. program have seen great improvement in how their communities interact. A mutual respect among generations is cultivated, with district and education-related issues being supported by the senior community – including the often hot-button budget issues.

A survey of S.A.G.E. volunteers demonstrated that the vast majority believed their experience has helped them develop closer relationships with their schools and communities.

Seniors who volunteer report being happier and healthier - increasing mental acuity and physical capabilities and increasing their sense of involvement and fellowship. Our organization works hard to meet the placement requests from volunteers excited to contribute their time and effort to support education within the community.

The S.A.G.E. program: Imparts an improved sense of worth & value

Gives seniors the ability to share knowledge and experiences

Increases involvement and awareness from seniors in the school district

Facilitates community collaboration and cooperative problem solving

Promotes an appreciation for rich cultural heritages, traditions and stories

You tell us! The diversity in experience from which our volunteers come is vast – and impressive. And the ways in which they have become involved are just as varied. If you are interested in becoming a S.A.G.E. volunteer, our passionate and dedicated staff will find the perfect volunteer position for you.

Teachers

An extra pair of hands in the classroom is just one of the many benefits S.A.G.E. can provide.

From allowing you the flexibility to devote special attention to the students who need it, to offering one-on-one support themselves, S.A.G.E. volunteers will help create an environment of individual learning in the classrooms they visit. Our volunteers are also a unique resource. Having come to us with professional and personal experiences that span a variety of different areas of expertise, they are equipped with the knowledge that can help bring lesson plans to life – with special presentations, lecture series and hands-on demonstrations.

Our in-depth matching process, which takes into consideration both the teachers’ requests as well as the seniors’, has consistently created mutually beneficial relationships. Nearly every teacher who has participated in the program not only requests to participate year after year, but also requests that they be matched with the same volunteer.

Students

Our senior volunteers are committed to enhancing students’ educational experience, both in the classroom and beyond. Students who have been involved in the S.A.G.E. program have not only demonstrated increased academic performance, but also shared that they’ve developed a more positive attitude towards, and acceptance for, the older generation. And the feeling is mutual. Our senior volunteers have expressed a greater appreciation for the younger generation – creating communities of mutual respect and cooperation.

How it works

The variety of volunteer opportunities that S.A.G.E. facilitates makes it easy for our program to be adapted into any school system. Regularly scheduled, weekly in-classroom assistance is our most commonly requested volunteer position. These volunteers are placed in a classroom for the period of a school year and provide an extra set of hands, eyes and ears to their partner teachers. More often than not, these teacher/volunteer relationships continue year-to-year as the relationship grows.

Volunteers with a particular area of expertise or interest are able to participate on an episodic basis – assisting in specialized events, like a spelling bee or science fair or lending their unique knowledge to lesson plans and lectures. The wealth of experiences (link to list of volunteer experiences) that our volunteers bring to the S.A.G.E. program is what makes it so unique and effective.

Other volunteers prefer to assist with extra-curricular clubs and activities, offering to share their talents and hobbies with the students – from Scrabble and chess to knitting and gardening – our volunteers open up new worlds to the students with whom they work.

Support SAGE

There are no causes more worthy than education, community and tolerance. By supporting Senior Adults for Greater Education, you will be supporting all three. The seniors who volunteer in the schools make lifelong impacts on the children in their classes, both academically and socially. By breaking down the barriers that exist between generations, and creating a venue through which the generations can interact and learn from each other, the possibilities for success and lifelong learning are endless. Your contribution will help ensure that these opportunities are available for students and seniors.

How Organizations Can Fund

Gifts of Cash:These may take the form of one-time donations or outright pledges. Outright pledges with payments extended over an agreed length of time are encouraged as the easiest way to support our non-profit organization.

Gifts of Assets: (e.g. Stocks, Real Estate, Retirement Plans): Designating the organization as a beneficiary of a Retirement Plan such as an IRA, Keogh, or 401K, enables you to maximize your support while presenting unique tax advantages.

Bequests: The simplest and most flexible deferred giving vehicle enables you to provide for (the charity) in your will.

Gifts of Life Insurance: Premium payments can be completely tax deductible for life insurance policies designating (the organization) as the beneficiary. Tax benefits are also associated with gifts of paid-up life insurance policies.

Income Producing Trusts: You may choose to make a donation and retain an income-interest for the rest of your life or a period of years. These donations offer several tax benefits while ultimately building our organization’s endowment fund.

About

Senior Adults for Greater Education is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to unite youth and seniors in an effort to enrich education and leave a legacy for future generations.

For over a decade, we have been perfecting our program – from developing a nearly 100% successful matching process to educating volunteers, teachers, and administrators on how to get the most out of their relationships. Our support staff is here to make sure that volunteers are screened, connected with the opportunities where they will be most successful, and encouraged to provide feedback that will contribute to the success of the program.

Our administrative board of volunteers is constantly pursuing the grant opportunities that allow us to offer our program at a minimal cost to the districts, as we understand the impact of budget constraints. The cost of a volunteer coordinator can be a substantial annual expense. The S.A.G.E. program offers the same service – in addition to our years of experience – at a significantly lower cost to the district.

Executive Director: Beryl Katz

Program Coordinator: Kathi Sherzer

Board of Directors

Staci Anderson

Eric J. Kelly, CPA

Christine Moran, Ph. D.

Maureen Riley

Kevin Strouse

Michael Sullivan

Advisory Board

Former Governor Edward G. Rendell
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo
Mayor of Bensalem Township

Mr. Dick Goldberg
Director of the Coming of Age Initiative, Temple University